Jean Hersholt

Infobox actor
bgcolour = Silver
name = Jean Hersholt


imagesize = 200px
birthname = Jean Hersholt
birthdate = birth date|1886|7|12|mf=y
location = Copenhagen, Denmark
deathdate = death date and age|1956|6|2|1886|7|12
deathplace = Hollywood, California, U.S.
yearsactive = 1906-1955
academyawards = Academy Honorary Award
1940 Outstanding services to the industry
1950 Distinguished service to the industry
goldenglobeawards = Cecil B. DeMille Award
1955 Lifetime achievement

Jean Hersholt (July 12, 1886 – June 2, 1956) was a Danish actor who lived in the United States where he was a leading film and radio talent, best known for his 17 years starring on radio in "Dr. Christian". Asked how to pronounce his name, he told "The Literary Digest", "In English, "her'sholt"; in Danish, "hairs'hult"." [Funk, Charles Earle. "What's the Name, Please?", Funk & Wagnalls, 1936.]

Born in Copenhagen, Denmark to a well-known Danish stage family, Hersholt toured Europe performing with his family when he was young. He then graduated from the Copenhagen Art School. [ [http://www.goldensilents.com/stars/jeanhersholt.html Golden Silents: Jean Hersholt] ] His first two films were made in Germany in 1906. He emigrated to the US in 1913, and the rest of his movies were made in America. Of his total credits, 75 were silent films and 65 were sound films. He is the uncle of former Canadian Deputy Prime Minister Erik Nielsen, whose brother is the actor Leslie Nielsen. He appeared in 140 films and directed four.

Hersholt's best remembered film roles included Marcus Schouler in Erich von Stroheim's 1924 film "Greed" and Shirley Temple's beloved grandfather in the 1937 film version of the 1880 children's book, "Heidi", written by Swiss author Johanna Spyri. During his long career in the movies, his roles ran the gamut from early silent villains to secondary parts in which his mild Danish accent and pleasant voice suited him to depict a succession of benevolent fathers, doctors, professors and European noblemen. Hersholt's last role was in the 1955 movie "Run for Cover".

Radio

In "The Country Doctor" (1936), a movie starring the Dionne quintuplets, Jean Hersholt portrayed Dr. John Luke, a character based on Dr. Allan Roy Dafoe, the Canadian obstetrician who delivered and cared for the Dionne Quintuplets. Two sequels followed. Hersholt wanted to do the role on radio but could not get the rights. He decided to create his own doctor character for radio, and since he was a Hans Christian Andersen enthusiast, he borrowed that name for his character of philosophical Dr. Paul Christian who practiced in the Midwest town of River's End with the assistance of Nurse Judy Price (Rosemary DeCamp, Lurene Tuttle, Kathleen Fitz, Helen Claire). With the opening theme music of "Rainbow on the River," Dr. Christian was introduced on CBS November 7, 1937 on "The Vaseline Program", aka "Dr. Christian's Office" and later "Dr. Christian", sponsored by Chesebrough Manufacturing's Vaseline.

The small-town physician's good humor, innate common sense and scientific training helped drive off a series of villainous types who tried to interfere with the peaceful lifestyle of River's End. Produced by Dorothy McCann, the radio series became a popular long-run hit, continuing on CBS until January 6, 1954, with Hersholt so strongly identified with the role that he received mail asking for medical advice. There were various spin-offs as Hersholt co-wrote a Dr, Christian novel and made a series of six family films as Christian from 1939 to 1941. In 1956, his Dr. Christian character made the transition to television, scripted by Gene Roddenberry, with Macdonald Carey as his nephew Dr. Mark Christian.

On August 31, 1952, Hersholt appeared on the television game show "What's My Line?".

Books

Hersholt's large collection of Hans Christian Andersen books is now in the Library of Congress). He translated over 160 of Andersen's fairy tales into English. These were published in 1949 in six volumes as "The Complete Andersen". His Andersen translations are regarded as the best English versions in existence. Hersholt was knighted by King Christian X of Denmark in 1948 partly due to this endeavor. Hersholt's grave in Forest Lawn Memorial Park Cemetery is marked with a statue of Klods Hans, a Hans Christian Andersen character who left Denmark to find his way in the world — much as Hersholt himself had done.

In 1939 Hersholt helped form the Motion Picture Relief Fund to support industry employees with medical care when they were down on their luck. The fund was used to create the Motion Picture Country House and Hospital in Woodland Hills, California, and it led to the creation in 1956 of the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award, an honorary Academy Award given to an "individual in the motion picture industry whose humanitarian efforts have brought credit to the industry."

Hersholt was honored for his services to the industry twice with an honorary Academy Award, first in 1940 and the second time in 1950. Hersholt died in Hollywood, California and was interred in Forest Lawn Memorial Park Cemetery in Glendale, California. He has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6501 Hollywood Boulevard for his work in motion pictures and another one at 6701 Hollywood Boulevard for his work in radio.

ee also

*The Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award

References

Listen to

* [http://www.freeotrshows.com/otr/d/Dr_Christian.html Free OTR: "Dr. Christian" (38 1937-39 episodes)]

External links

*imdb name|0380965
* [http://www.andersen.sdu.dk/vaerk/hersholt/index_e.html Jean Hersholt: The Complete Andersen]
* [http://www.otrsite.com/logs/logd1014.htm Jerry Haendiges Vintage Radio Logs: "Dr. Christian"]
*findagrave|2087

Persondata
NAME= Hersholt, Jean
ALTERNATIVE NAMES= Hersholt, Jean
SHORT DESCRIPTION=Actor
DATE OF BIRTH= 1886-7-12
PLACE OF BIRTH= Copenhagen, Denmark
DATE OF DEATH= 1956-6-2
PLACE OF DEATH= Hollywood, California, U.S.